Four years ago, when I semi-retired, I decided it was time to make me #1 and work on getting in great physical health. I knew this would require a solid commitment since I would need to lose about 85 pounds. I began eating healthier, walking, going to a gym, and exercising aerobically. After 2 years I had dropped 60 pounds and felt much better. But I was still struggling. I began to lose motivation to continue and the weight was creeping up. In fact, I had completed over 400 hours of Jazzercise in 2007, without losing any weight.

Then one day I was talking to a friend at Jazzercise and she told me about her weekly meetings with Fran. I was intrigued, but the thought of keeping a food diary seemed tedious and even a little frightening. I finally decided that I needed to call Fran and see what she could do for me.

That call made all the difference. I know I probably rolled my eyes when she told me I would need to keep a food diary, but I also realized that was the one thing I hadn't tried. Seems like I had tried everything else, all without any success. Within a couple of weeks of keeping the food diary, I began to realize that I am a mindless eater-my mind was not on how much I am eating, but whether I was enjoying the food.